I found what fixed the "no plans to fabricate" error. It started when I fooled around with the water filtration plant power terminal, and I randomly decided to go back. There was a Voltaic Phantom very close to it, and before I could interact with the console, it switched the power off on it. After that, the fabricators worked.

P.S. The EMP method had not worked for me when I tried it.

Bonus Anti-bug info: Sometimes, picking up a transcribe will not add it to your inventory or offer to play itself for you. I found that this is very likely due to it being a transcribe between two personnel, and the player has already picked up the transcribe from the other person in the conversation, such as the one that starts the Golden Gun objective. This could also explain why it isn't indicated as having been recorded by the person you just picked it up from.